Thousand & One Nights & 200th Night: The Wealthy Man & The Slave Girl - 30

The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the jeweler said:

Ali ibn Bakkar charged me and asked me to tell his mother to bear his loss with patience.  Then he fell in a swoon and remained unconscious for a long time, and when he came to himself, he heard a girl singing the following verses:

Adversity hastened our parting, 

After our happy Love and joyful life, 

Such parting is a bitter pain; would 

That a lover were spared a strife 

Death's agony is a short moment.

Parting's pain always remains

God allowed all lovers to unite 

But condemned me, kept apart.

When he heard these verses, he groaned and his soul left his body.

I wrapped him in a shroud and committed his body to the care of our host.

Two days later I journeyed in the company of some people, and reached my house in Baghdad. Then I went to the house of Ali ibn Bakkar to meet his mother. I bade his servants to leave her mother alone, and I went to her, greeted her, sat by her, and said, "May God bless you, and be kind to you.  God orders the life of man, and none can escape his will and decree.  She remained silent for a while, and then she wept bitterly, and when she was calm she said, "Tell me, is my son dead?" But I could not answer. I was choking with sobs.  Her grief was so great, that she fell down in a swoon.  The maids rushed in without veil and propped her up.  When she came to herself, she asked, "What happened to my son?" I explained to her all, his love of Shams al-Nahar, her distress, their separation and how we were forced to leave our house, how we were robbed on our way and his loss of hope.  When I finished telling, she said, "He should have confided his secret to me.  Did he give you any charge?"

I replied, "Yes, he did." Giving her the charge I left her wailing and crying with her maids.

Dazed by grief and blinded with tears, I went out, recalling our youthful days.  As I walked, a woman suddenly grabbed my hand. Shams al-Nahar's maid stood before me, panting.  Dressed in black and looking grief-stricken, she followed me. We walked on, until we reached my other house.

When we were inside the house, I asked her, "Have you heard the news of Ali ibn Bakkar?"

She replied, "No, by God."  Then I told her everything.  From her mourning weed I realised that her lady had also gone.  I asked her, "What further affliction caused your lady's death?"

She replied, "The Commander of the Faithful, as I told you, had her removed to his own quarters.  But thinking the accusations absurd, he did not confront her with them because of his love and compassion for her.  Indeed, he told her that she was the finest, the most virtuous, the most innocent of her enemies' accusations, and dearest of all the people to him.  Then he ordered for her a beautiful room decorated with gold, and this filled her with alarm and fright.

One evening, as he sat to drink and carouse as usual, he summoned his concubines, bidding them be seated in their places, and made Shams al-Nahar sit by his side, in order to show them her status among them and her place in his heart.  She sat there absent minded, feeling weak and numb, and her words betrayed her apprehension and fear of what the Caliph would do.

Then one of the girls sang the following verses:

Sad love called for my tears,

And over my burning cheeks 

Until my eyes, grown weary of the Charge, hid what I wished to show 

And what lay hidden showed.

How can I conceal my passion

When my love's torment exhibits

After my darling death is sweeter 

I wonder how he would fare. 

As these verses finished, Shams al-Nahar lost her control and burst into tears and fell down in a swoon.  The Caliph three the cup, and drew her to him, but she was already dead.  He cried out, and the girls joined him with their cries.  He bade all the vessels and all the musical instruments be broken. And they were broken.  He hurried out, having bidden her be carried to his private room, where he stayed with her the rest of the night.

Morning. He bade her be washed. Wrapped in a shroud. And buried. But he never inquired about her case."

Then she asked me the day of Ali ibn-Bakkar's burial.  I asked, "Where can I find you?"

She replied, "The Commander of the Faithful freed all her women, including myself. And I am now staying at her tomb. Then I went out with her to the cemetery, visited the tomb and departed.

On the fourth day Ali ibn-Bakkar's body arrived in Baghdad. People of all classes, both men and women, including myself went out to honour him.  Shams al-Nahar's maid joined the family of Ali ibn-Bakkar in the procession.

From that time on, I have never ceased to visit his tomb.

😎😎